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Surcharge

Governor Tony Knowles signed into law on May 29, 1998, legislation which
increases funding for training police and correctional officers in Alaska. Under
the new law there will be a $100 surcharge for all felony offenses, $75 for
serious motor vehicle offenses, $50 for misdemeanor offenses for which
incarceration may be imposed, and $10 for other misdemeanors, infractions or
violations. The surcharge would apply to municipal as well as state violations.
The surcharges go into a fund used to pay for law enforcement and correctional
officer training conducted by the Alaska Police Standards Council, the State
Trooper Academy, and for municipal police training programs. Representative Gary
Davis of Soldotna sponsored House Bill 261.

Sec. 18.65.225. Alaska police training fund.

The Alaska police training fund is created in the general fund. The fund
consists of appropriations made by the legislature to the fund. The legislature
may appropriate to the fund the annual estimated balance in the accounts
maintained under AS 37.05.142 for money collected under AS 12.25.195 (c), AS
12.55.039 , AS 28.05.151 , and AS 29.25.074. The legislature may make
appropriations from the fund to (1) the Department of Public Safety for the
Public Safety Training Academy, including Village Public Safety Officers, (2)
the Alaska Police Standards Council to provide training for the law enforcement
and corrections community of the state under AS 18.65.230 , and (3)
municipalities that conduct their own police training programs. Nothing in this
section creates a dedicated fund.

Sec. 37.05.142. Accounting for program receipts.

The Department of Administration shall establish and maintain separate
accounts by program source for all program receipts that state agencies deposit
under AS 37.10.050 or under another statute if the program receipts are exempted
by law from the deposit requirements of AS 37.10.050.

Sec. 37.10.050. Charges for state services; collection, accounting and
deposit of state money.

a. A state agency may not charge for the provision of state services unless
the charge (1) is set or otherwise authorized by statute; and (2) where a
regulation is necessary, is set by or provided for in a regulation that meets
the standards of AS 44.62.020 and 44.62.030. A fee or other charge that is set
by regulation may not exceed the estimated actual costs of the state agency in
administering the activity or providing the service unless otherwise provided by
the statute under which the regulation is adopted; this limitation does not
apply to sales of property by a state agency. Unless specifically exempted by
statute, a state agency authorized to collect or receive fees, licenses, taxes,
or other money belonging to the state shall account for and remit the receipts,
less fees to which the collector is entitled by statute or regulation, to the
Department of Revenue at least once each month. The commissioner of
administration shall separately account under AS 37.05.142 for receipts
deposited under this subsection.

b. Money collected for the state shall be deposited by the collector in the
nearest bank to the account of the Department of Revenue when the Department of
Revenue directs this to be done.

c. [Repealed, Sec. 35 ch 126 SLA 1994].

d. Each state agency shall annually review fees and charges collected by the
agency. By October 1, each state agency shall submit a report to the office of
management and budget regarding existing fee levels set by the agency by
regulation and adjustments made to fee levels by the agency during the previous
fiscal year, and recommended adjustments in fees set by statute that the agency
collects. Each year by December 15, the office of management and budget shall
submit a report to the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee summarizing the
reports and recommendations and the extent to which the fee adjustments have
been incorporated in the governor's budget. Within 30 days after the convening
of each regular session of the legislature, the committee shall prepare a report
on the status of fee regulations and making recommendations for changes in
regulations or statutes as appropriate. The committee shall notify the
legislature that the report is available.

e. In this section, "agency" means a board, commission, or agency in the
legislative, judicial, or executive branch, but does not include the University
of Alaska or a public corporation.

Sec. 12.25.195. Disposition of scheduled offenses.

c. Disposition of an offense under (a) of this section may not occur unless
the person cited for the offense pays the surcharge prescribed in AS 12.55.039
in addition to the scheduled bail or fine amount. The surcharge required to be
paid under this subsection shall be deposited into the general fund and
accounted for under AS 37.05.142 .

Sec. 12.55.039. Surcharge.

a. In addition to any fine or other penalty prescribed by law, a defendant
who pleads guilty or nolo contendere to, forfeits bail for, or is convicted of a

1. felony shall be assessed a surcharge of $100;

2. violation of a misdemeanor offense under AS 28.33.030 , 28.33.031, AS
28.35.030 , or 28.35.032, or a violation of a municipal ordinance comparable to
a misdemeanor offense under AS 28.33.030 , 28.33.031, AS 28.35.030, or 28.35.032
and adopted under AS 28.01.010 , shall be assessed a surcharge of $75;

3. misdemeanor or a violation of a municipal ordinance if a sentence of
incarceration may be imposed for the misdemeanor or ordinance violation, other
than a provision identified in (2) of this subsection, shall be assessed a
surcharge of $50;

4. violation or an infraction under state law or a misdemeanor or a violation
of a municipal ordinance if a sentence of incarceration may not be imposed for
the misdemeanor or ordinance violation shall be assessed a surcharge of $10 if
the fine or bail forfeiture amount for the offense is $30 or more.

b. A court may not fail to impose the surcharge required under this section.
The surcharge may not be waived, deferred, or suspended. A court may allow a
defendant who is unable to pay the surcharge required to be imposed under this
section to perform community work under AS 12.55.055(c) in lieu of the
surcharge.

c. The surcharge shall be paid within 10 days of imposition or such shorter
period of time as ordered by the court. Failure to pay the surcharge is
punishable as contempt of court. Proceedings to collect the surcharge may be
instituted by the state, the municipality, or by the court on its own motion.

d. Money collected under this section shall be deposited into the general
fund and accounted for under AS 37.05.142 .

Sec. 28.05.151. Citations for scheduled vehicle and traffic offenses.

a. The supreme court shall determine by rule or order those motor vehicle and
traffic offenses, except for offenses subject to a scheduled municipal fine,
that are amenable to disposition without court appearance and shall establish a
scheduled amount of bail, not to exceed fines prescribed by law, for each
offense. A municipality shall determine by ordinance the municipal motor vehicle
and traffic offenses that may be disposed of without court appearance and shall
establish a fine schedule for each offense.

b. The supreme court shall establish a scheduled amount of bail allowing
disposition of a citation for a violation of AS 28.05.095 without court
appearance.

c. The supreme court shall require as a condition of the disposition of an
offense without appearance that a person charged with any offense for which a
bail forfeiture amount has been adopted shall pay the surcharge prescribed in AS
12.55.039 in addition to the bail forfeiture amount established by the supreme
court. The surcharge required to be paid under this subsection shall be
deposited into the general fund and accounted for under AS 37.05.142 .

d. [Effective April 30, 1999]. The supreme court, in establishing scheduled
amounts of bail under this section, and each municipality that establishes or
has established a fine schedule under this section shall provide that the
scheduled amount of bail or fine, as applicable, for a motor vehicle or traffic
offense that is committed in a highway work zone shall be double the amount of
the bail or fine for the offense if it had not been committed in a highway work
zone.